Voter List Update EC to probe low women regi

Staff ReporterThe Election Commission (EC) will investigate to find out reasons behind the significantly less number of women registering their names as voters compared to males during the ongoing countrywide voter list update that began in May last.The Commission at a meeting on Sunday, asked the EC secretariat to form some inquiry committees to find out the reasons of less registration by female voters, Election Commissioner Shah Nawaz told a group of reporters at his EC Secretariat office.The committees will conduct surveys in some specific areas where the trend among the women to become voters is significantly low, he said.Besides, the meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad also asked the EC secretariat to submit a report whether Rohingyas spread to any other upazilas adjoining the EC identified 14 Rohingya-inhabited upazilas in the southeastern districts of the country.“If the report finds Rohingyas have spread to more upazilas, the commission will take special measures in the updating of voter lists in the particular upazilas,” Shah Nawaz said.On May 15, 2014, the Election Commission started the three-phase countrywide voter list updating with estimate of finding 46 lakh fresh voters.The task of voter update will be complete by December this year.